The preparation of this edition of Luther's Commentary on Galatians wasfirst suggested to me by Mr. P. J. Zondervan, of the firm of publishers, inMarch, 1937. The consultation had the twofold merit of definiteness andbrevity."Luther is still the greatest name in Protestantism. We want you to help uspublish some leading work of Luther's for the general American market.Will you do it?"

"I will, on one condition."

"And what is that?"

"The condition is that I will be permitted to make Luther talk American,'streamline' him, so to speak--because you will never get people, whetherin or outside the Lutheran Church, actually to read Luther unless we makehim talk as he would talk today to Americans."

I illustrated the point by reading to Mr. Zondervan a few sentences from anEnglish translation lately reprinted by an American publisher, of one ofLuther's outstanding reformatory essays.